After winning 27 NHRA national event titles last year, including 15 in Funny Car, DSR has only mustered one title each thus far this season in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
Friday could be a hint the DSR juggernaut is getting close to returning to full power.
Jack Beckman and the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T led Don Schumacher Racing the top of the Funny Car field after the first day of qualifying in the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway with a track-record-setting performance.
And close behind in the No. 2 position, with two more sessions scheduled for Saturday, is DSR teammate Matt Hagan in the Rocky Boots/Mopar Dodge whose Dodge Charger R/T also blasted the previous records.
Beckman with crew chief Jimmy Prock with assistants John Medlen and Chris Cunningham led the Terry Chandler-sponsored Dodge to a time of 3.939 seconds at 326.32 mph. The team is on the cusp of earning its fourth No. 1 qualifying position through the first seven races of the 24-event Mello Yello season but has yet to win this season after winning a series-best event times last year.
“We are fine when track conditions are cool like they were tonight, but we’ve been struggling when it’s warm,” said the 2012 Funny Car world champion.
“The first session we ran a 4.07 that put us in the middle of the pack. It’s tough to make a big change when you’re middle of the pack, but because there are only 16 cars here everyone will run on Sunday. That meant Jimmy was able to take a hard shot at it.”
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